Apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like



July 16, 1929. J. M. M CLATCHIE 3 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANSAND THHLIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5Sheets-Sheet 1 y 16, 1929' J. M. MCLATCHIE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THE LIKE 5 Shets-Sheet2 w v v /\//////////////////////////////////W///////////wV/// r//\// owv i 2 32 w w m 1% a l 3 2w ,3 I i II 1 2 Q 3 3 MM .Nm E

J ly 1929- J. M. M CLATCHIE 7 L APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS ANDTHE LIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet #5 xl f k \\\\\\\\\\x v July16, 1929.

J. M. M CLATCHIE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THE LIKE FiledJuly 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 16, 1929. J. M. M CLATCHIE 7 LAPPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND-THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5Sheets-Shee t 5 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITE YES JOHN M. MCCLATOHIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BURDENCOMIIEAIN'Y, 0 NEW YORK, N. Y., A COREORATION NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING GAPS FOB CANS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 6,

The invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for separatingpromiscuously mixed container closures and feeding or delivering them inproper position to a predetermined point. More particularly theinvention constitutes, an improvement in apparatus for separating andfeeding into a chute leading to the point of delivery the relativelysmall metal caps commonly used for closing the opening in the tops oftin cans adapted to contain condensed milk or other food products. Theobject of the invention is to eifect'the delivery of a greater number ofcaps in a given time to the can capping or other machine than can beeffected with apparatus of equal size as heretofore constructed. To theaccomplishment of this object the invention consists'in the improved cancap feeding apparatus hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 is a top plan of the-improved cap feedingapparatus; Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections taken along themedian section line in Fig. 1, looking in the directions, respectively,of the arrow points 22 and 33; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrowpoints;Fig. 5 is asection similar to Fig. 4, looking in the direction of thearrow points 5-45; Fig. 6 is an end elevation, partly in section,looking from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail plan of a section ofthe interior of the drum; and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the partsshown in Fig. 7. I 7

The improved can cap feeding apparatus illustrated in the drawingscomprises in general a rotating drum10, a hopper 11 through which thecan caps promiscuously mixed are introduced into the interior of thedrum, and a chute 12 into which the drum feeds the caps and by which thecaps are all delivered in the same relative position to thepredetermined point, such as a can capping machine.

The caps handled in the apparatus are of usual form and consist of ,adisk-shaped, cylindrical body portion 14 having on its upper open end afiat annular flange 15. The rotating drum 10 acts on the promiscuouslymixed mass of caps in its interior to separate 1927. Serial No. 203,763.

them one from another and deliver, them all .in the same relativeposition into the chute so that they will slide down through the chuteand be in proper position to be inserted in the holes in the tops of thecans which they serve to close and seal.

The rotating drum 10 is a cylindricalshell supported from a'hub 16journaled on a stationary shaft 17 fixed at one end in an up-. right 18rising from the table or platform 19 and at its other end in an upright20 on which. the hopper 11 is supported. The connection between theshell of the drum 10 and the hub 16 consists of an annular plate 21secured to the left hand end of theshell, facing Fig. 2, and a flange ordisk 22 extending radially from the left hand end of the hub 16 andlying in the plane of the annular plate 21. The disk 22 and the plate 21are held in fixed relation separated by the space 23 by means of fourU-shaped arms 24 extending inwardly into the interior of the drum 10.The drum is rotated by means of a belt-25 which passes over a band 26.fixed on the left hand end of the drum. The right hand end of the drum10, facing Fig. 2, is provided with a central opening 27 which registerswith an opening 28 in thehopper. 11 andthrough these openings thecancaps are'introduced into the interior of the rotating drum.

The means by which the caps are separated from one another andintroduced in the same relative position into the chute 12 consists of aseries of channels 30 spirally arranged on the interior surface of thedrum 10 and 6X7 tending longitudinally thereof. Each chan- The left handor delivery endsof the channels 30 abut the annular plate 21 and thepassageway through each channel 30 registers' witha correspondingopening 31 in the plate 21. Through tl ieseopenings 31 the caps passinto the interior82 of the chute 12. The passageway through the channels80, the openings 31, and the passageway 32 inf the chute 12, are all ofsubstantially the same dimenr sions'and are slightly wider and deeper,re-

spectively, than the width and depth of the caps. Thus the caps arepermitted to slide nel consists of an'outer wall constituted b311 theadjacent part of the drumlO and of inner. walls which form an enclosedpassageway through which the caps are, adapted to slide.

pass through the openings 31 and down through the chute 12. In thearrangement of the parts shown in the drawings the caps are deliveredinto the chute 12 in such manner that the cylindrical parts 14 thereofwill point in a general downward direction as the caps pass through thedischarge part 33 of the chute, as shown in Fig. 6.

The caps are introduced into the channels 30 through the holes 35 cut inthe front or advancing faces of the channels. The holes 35 are of suchconformation that the caps can enter the holes only with theircylindrical portion 14 pointed towards the interior surface of the drum10. For this purpose the holes 35 are contracted at the points 36 atwhich the sides of the channels contact with the interior surface of thedrum and are widened at the point 37 to accommodate the flange-like part15 of the caps. The spirally arranged channels are so located relativelyto the direction of rotation of the drum that the right hand ends of thechannels. viewing Figs. 2 and 1, are in advance of the left hand endsof'the channels and consequently as the channels travel upwardly,viewing right hand side of Fig. 6, any caps which have. entered throughthe holes 35 into the channels slide through the channels towards thechute 12 and pass into the chute through the respective hole 31connected with each channel. This mode of operation will be clear from acon- 'sideration of Fig. 3, the left hand ends of the channels 30 inFig. 3 being the advance ends. The channels 30 are spaced apart slightlyless than the diameter of the caps so that the caps may not fall flangeside down between the channels and become wedged there.

The caps enter through the openings 35 of the channels 30 in thefollowing manner For the sake of illustration we shall follow only asingle cap. The cap is tossed about in I the hopper until by chance itfalls in such position-that one edge of the flangelike part 15 thereofrests momentarily on the rear edge of a channel opposite an opening 35and the opposite edge of the flange 15 of the cap enters I the enlargedupper part 3 7 of the opening 35.

This occurs while the two adjacent channels are substantially at thebottom of the hopper.

As the channels begin to travel upwardly with V the ascending-side ofthe hopper the entering edge of the flange of the cap will enter theenlargement 37 of the opening 35 far enough to permit the opposite edgeof the flange of the cap to fall free of the rear side of the adjacentchannel, permitting the dish-shaped end of the cap to contact with theinterior surface of the portion of the hopper 10 between the twochannels. The cap is now in position to pass through the opening 35an-denters fully into the channel as the latter travels upwardly. Sincethere are hundreds of caps being tossed about at one time in the bottomof the hopper, and each one of the plurality of channels is providedwith several openings 35 it will be obvious that the feed of the capsinto the chute 12 is sufficiently rapid to supply a constant stream ofcaps to a capping machine running at high S130G(l.- As the mass ofunseparated caps is tumbled about in the hopper the greater part of themwill occupy only the lower portion of the hopper, but some of them willbe carried up on the ascending side of the hopper by the channels 30 andwill fall back into the bottom of the hopper. It is because the caps arethus tumbled about that some of them assume such positions relatively tothe openings 35 in the advancing sides of the channels that they passtherethrough and into the channels, as indicated by the caps shown indotted lines 38 in Fig. 7. c

The chute 12 into which the channels 30 deliver the caps comprises thearcuate portion 40 secured by the brackets 41 to the upright 13 and tothe sleeve like part 42 thereof. The whole inner face of the arcuateportion 40 of the chute 12 in contact with the outer face of the plate21 is open in order that the caps passing through the openings 31 inalinement with the channels 30 may freely pass into the chute. At aboutthe point where the lower end 33 of the chute 12 leaves the plate 21,the chute is closed on its four sides so that the caps may be properlyconveyed to the point of delivery.

If the channels 30 pick up the caps and attempt to deliver them into thechute in greater number thanthey are being used at the point of deliveryso that the caps back up in the chute and completely fill it at thepoint at which the channels deliver the caps into the chute, the capspassing through the discharge openings 31 connected with the channels 30will engage with the caps in the upper part of the chute and dischargethem through the open end 43 of the chute and into a hopper 44 supportedfrom a plate 45 covering the annular opening 23 and the openings 31 onthe descending side of the drum and fixed by the brackets 41 to thechute and to upright 18. The passageways through the channels areclose-d at the other end of the drum by the annular flange 47.Thesurplus caps received within the hopper 44 pass through the annularopening 23 into the interior of the drum 10. The U-shaped arms orsupports 24 are of such shape and arrangement as-not to interfere withthe passage of the caps from the hopper 44 into the drum.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is 1. Anapparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, acylindrical drum,

means for rotating the drum, means for introducing caps into the drum, achute for conveying the caps away from the drum, a series of spirallyformed channels on the interior surface of the drum, each channelconsisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps,connections bet-ween the discharge ends of the channels and the chutewhereby the caps pass from the channels into the chute, there being aseries of openings conforming to the shape of the caps in the front oradvancing sides of the channels to direct the caps into the channels.

2. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, arotatable cylindrical drum, means for introducing caps into the interiorof the drum, a series of spirally arranged channels on the interiorsurface of the drum, each channel consisting of walls forming anenclosed passageway for the caps, there being cap receiving openingsformed in the front or advancing faces of the channels, said channelsbeing arranged relatively to the direction of rotation of the drum sothat as the caps pass through the openings into the channels they willtravel through the channels, and a chute located at the discharge endsof the channels to receive the caps discharged therethrough.

3. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, arotatable cylindrical drum, means for introducing caps into the interiorof the drum, a series of spirally arranged channels on the interiorsurface of the drum spaced apart less than the diameter of the caps,there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front oradvancing faces of the channels, and a chute for receiving the capsdischarged through the channels.

4. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, ahorizontally-arranged cylindrical drum, means for rotating the drum, ahopper located at one end of the drum through which caps are introducedinto the interior surface of the drum, there being a series of capreceiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels,said channels being so located relatively to the chute that as thechannels move upwardly the caps therein pass down into the chute.

5. An apparatus for feeding caps forcans and the like comprising, arotatable shell, a series of channels on the interior surface of theshell arranged spirally and longitudinally of the axis of the shell,each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for thecaps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front oradvancing sides of the channels, means for introducing the caps into theinterior of the shell, and means for receiving the caps which passthrough the channels.

'6. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, arotatable shell, a 4

series of channels spirally arrangedon the interior surface of theshell, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passagewayfor the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in thefront or advancing sides of the channels, means for and the likecomprising, a rotatable cylindri cal drum, a hopper located at one endof the drum through which caps are introduced into the interior of thedrum, an open faced chute located adjacent one end of the rising side ofthe drum, a series of channels spirally and longitudinally arranged onthe interior surface of the drum, each channel consisting of wallsforming an enclosed passageway for the caps, there being a series of capreceiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels,the channels being arranged to discharge the caps passing through theminto the open face of the chute.

8. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, ahorizontally arranged cylindrical drum, means for rotating the drum, ahopper located at one end of the drum through which the caps areintroduced into the interior of the drum, a chute located at the otherend of the drum and having an arcuate section with an open facepositioned adjacent the rising side of the drum, a series of spirallyand longitudinally arranged channels on the inner surface of the drumspaced apart less than the diameter of the caps, there being a series ofcap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing faces of thechannels, the channels being arranged to discharge the caps passingthrough them into the open face of the chute, and means located underthe upper end of the chute to receive the surplus caps from the chuteand reintroduce them into the drum.

9. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, adrum rotating on a horizontal axis, means for feeding caps into thedrum, a series of spirally formed channels on the interior surface ofthe drum and arranged obliquely of the axis of the sides of thechannels, said openings all hava ing the same relative position, and achute for receiving the caps from the channels.

5 channels on the interior surface of the drum and arranged obliquely ofthe axis of the drum, each channel consisting of Walls forming anenclosed passageway for the caps,

there being a series of openings conforming to the shape of the caps inthe front or 10 advancing sides of the channels, all said openingshaving the same relative pos1t1on, with the narrower part of the openingadjacent the interior surface of the drum, and a chute for receiving thecaps from the channels.

JOHN M. MGCLATCHIE.

